I started zucchini rampicante from seed in a greenhouse, then transplanted them to a sunny spot in raised beds with a trellis. The plants are flowering and I see baby zucchinis forming, but they keep falling off before maturing. I've been trying to self-pollinate since I haven't seen any bees around this year, but it still isn't working. Does anyone have any advice on what could be causing this or how to improve fruit set?
4 Answers
I’ve had similar experiences! In NE Texas, my zucchini rampicante didn't produce at first, despite having plenty of flowers. But then they started setting fruit, and I had a great harvest all the way into October. Sometimes it just takes a little time for them to figure things out!
I totally get where you’re coming from! I've grown zucchini rampicante in SE PA and it tends to be slow initially too. Sometimes it helps to let the vines spread out and re-root as they grow. I usually start them around May or June, and by September, I'm harvesting a bunch of fruit. Just give them some time!
It sounds like heat stress could be affecting your plants if you're dealing with high temps. Zucchini can be pretty sensitive to extreme heat, and that might cause the fruits to drop before they mature. Keeping them hydrated and maybe providing some shade during the hottest parts of the day could help!
Don't stress too much! This variety often takes longer to set fruit compared to others, so patience is key. Keep caring for them, and you may start to see viable zucchinis popping up soon. It’s not uncommon for these to be a bit slow at first!
Thanks for the reassurance! I’ll try to let them grow a bit more and see what happens.